The present invention is drawn to a support device for supporting a computer monitor in a vehicle. The support device can maintain the computer monitor in an upright, in-use position in which the monitor is highly visible and readily accessible to a driver and/or front seat passenger in the vehicle and alternatively can maintain the monitor in a downward, non-use position in the vehicle. The support device also includes a vibration attenuator that inhibits vibration between the structural elements of the support device thereby reducing the noise level within the vehicle driver compartment.
Police officers, public safety officers, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency responders are generally required to carry various types of equipment in their automotive vehicles. With the advent of portable computers it has become common for emergency vehicles to be equipped with a computer in addition to the other conventional equipment. As a result there has been a need for devices that can support a computer in an automotive vehicle.
Due to the nature of use in an emergency vehicle, it is critical that the computer monitor be mounted in a location that is highly visible, readily accessible and does not interfere with the vehicle occupants or the other equipment carried in the vehicle.
Computers in which the monitor is separate from the keyboard are an example of the types typically carried in emergency vehicles. Due to their configuration, conventional equipment consoles are not typically able to accommodate a computer monitor that is separate from the keyboard.
Stands for supporting a laptop computer and its components within a vehicle are known in the prior art. These stands are typically mounted separately from the console box on the floorboard in front of the passenger seat. Such an arrangement can severely impinge on the leg room of a front seat passenger and may altogether eliminate space for a front seat passenger. Furthermore, these prior art stands are configured for supporting the computer monitor with an attached keyboard and not just the monitor alone.
Mounting the monitor of a computer in a police vehicle or other emergency services vehicles can be problematic since it may often be necessary for an occupant to use the computer and/or other equipment while in transit. Due to the general size and shape, a computer monitor can take up a relatively large amount of space in a vehicle's interior. This makes it difficult to position the computer monitor in such a way that not only the monitor's screen, but also other equipment in the vehicle is highly visible and readily accessible to the driver and front seat occupant. It is desirable that the computer and other equipment carried within the vehicle be readily accessible in order to facilitate use and thereby enhance safety.
Mounting devices for supporting computer monitors in vehicles are known in the prior art. Some of these devices include articulating members and/or separable elements which can be prone to rattling due to vibrations generated by the moving vehicle. Rattling creates unwanted noise in the vehicle driver compartment. Such noise is not only bothersome and intrusive, but can also be dangerous in an emergency vehicle where clear communication is essential. Consequently, there is a need for a support device that reduces noise inside the vehicle's driver compartment.
There are additional drawbacks to supports of the prior art in that some supports are not readily visible or accessible to the vehicle's driver. Such supports are located directly adjacent to the driver, require that the driver rotate his or her upper body in order to see and access the computer and other equipment mounted in the vehicle. With the computer located substantially out of the driver's line of sight, the driver must look away from the front of the vehicle in order to see its screen. In doing so, he or she must move their eyes a significant distance away from the front of the vehicle. In a moving vehicle, the driver looking completely away from the front of the vehicle increases the chance for an accident, thereby creating danger to no only the occupants of that vehicle, but also other nearby vehicles. Therefore, it is important to have the computer monitor mounted in a location where the driver can view the screen without significantly shifting his or her line of vision from the front of the vehicle.
For accessibility, both visually and operatively, there is a need for an adjustable support device that can hold a computer monitor in selected locations so that the driver and/or passenger can easily see, reach and access the monitor. In addition, it is important that the support device and attached monitor be readily moveable to allow access to other equipment installed in the vehicle. There is also a need for a monitor support device that deters rattling and inhibits noise within the vehicle's driver compartment.